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Fare Enforcement

Not paying your fare, or using incorrect fare, could result in a fine of $173.

Transit security personnel scanning Compass Cards as customers board a bus

Transit fares help pay for to the costs of delivering transit services, maintenance, and keeping the system clean. 

TransLink is working to reduce fare evasion to make the system better for everyone.

On this page

    What is fare evasion?

    Fare evasion includes:

    • Boarding a bus without paying

    • Passing through a fare gate without tapping an accepted fare product 

    • Entering into a West Coast Express station without tapping in on a fare validator

    • Using a fare product that you are not eligible for

    • Being in a fare-paid zone without proof of payment

    A Fare Paid Zone is:

    • Any in-service transit vehicle (buses, SkyTrains, SeaBus, West Coast Express, HandyDARTs)

    • On the service side of any fare gate

    • The designated “Fare Paid Zones” of West Coast Express Stations

    • Inside SeaBus terminals

    Fare payment facts

    1. Fare evasion is more common on the bus than it is on transit vehicles with fare gates, like the SkyTrain and SeaBus.

    • TransLink is prioritizing fare enforcement on buses, as a result.

    2. Kids under the age of 13 ride transit for free.

    3. Concession fares are not for students, eligibility is based on age. Passengers who are eligible for concession fares include:

    4. You must always tap when boarding transit, even if you have a valid monthly pass.

    • Failure to do so could result in a $173 fine.

    5. Many post-secondary students receive monthly passes through the U-Pass BC Program.

    • This program is only available at participating public post-secondary institutions.

    • Students attending any post-secondary institutions not eligible or participating in the U-Pass BC Program must pay the appropriate fare based on their age.

    6. There are many different ways to pay for transit on our system. Valid Proof of Payment includes:

    • Using a Compass product with sufficient fare.

    • Contactless Credit Cards, Interac Debit Cards, or any Mobile Wallet at Compass Card Readers.

    • Using cash at fare boxes or Compass Vending Machines.

    7. If asked by a fare enforcement officer, customers must present the proof of payment they used to enter the fare paid zone.

    • Failure to do so in a fare-paid zone could result in a $173 fine.

    • This could include presenting a recently tapped Compass product, paper bus transfer, or by presenting the last four digits of a recently used Debit or Credit Card.

    8. $173 fines increase to $223 if not paid after 6 months, and to $273 if not paid after 12 months.

    9. If a fare product was lost or stolen while travelling on the SkyTrain or SeaBus, exit ticket machines are available by all fare gates.

    • Lost or stolen products is not an excuse to pass through a fare gate without paying.

    Available resources for customers

    Resources are available for those who may be unable to pay for transit.

    • The BC Bus Pass Program is a resource provided by the Province of BC to eligible low-income seniors or individuals receiving disability assistance.

    • Free passes are available through the Homelessness Services Association of BC (HSABC). TransLink and BC Housing donates $100,000 worth of transit passes to this group annually for them to distribute to eligible community members.

    • TransLink also donates free transit passes to dozens of other charitable organizations that support community groups throughout Metro Vancouver. Free passes may be available depending on the circumstances of each person.

    • For the best information about what you may be eligible for, customers should consult a social worker, case worker, or counsellor.